Intelligent vehicle meter

ABSTRACT

An intelligent vehicle meter includes an associative processing unit and a signal processing unit connecting to various modules to process related signals. Through a measurement module and an accelerometer module physiological conditions of an exerciser and exercise intensity can be obtained to generate a control signal to be sent to a control module. Hence a corresponding control measure can be made immediately by the control module according to exerciser&#39;s conditions to actively change use intensity of the exercise equipment to enable the exerciser to do exercise under the optimal condition to protect the health and safety of the exerciser.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an exercise auxiliary apparatus and particularly to an exercise auxiliary apparatus that actively changes use intensity of an exercise equipment by measuring the physiological conditions and exercise intensity of exercisers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

People doing exercise on moving exercise equipment such as bicycles often are prone to over stress the body due to not fully understand their physiological conditions and the intensity of the exercise. It could be harmful to the health of the exerciser. Moreover, outdoor exercises often encounter a wide variety of environments, such as uphill or downhill terrains. The exerciser who overstresses his/her body could be not able to take proper measures or contingent actions in response to the environments and expose to additional risks of exercise.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,940 discloses a contact type pulse measurement device to measure the physiological conditions of an exerciser to keep the exercisers informed of their physiological conditions. However, if the exerciser does not properly change the use intensity of the moving exercise equipment according to his/her physiological conditions and exercise intensity the efficacy of the exercise diminishes. The benefit of the exercise decreases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore the primary object of the present invention is to provide a means to enable people to change use intensity of exercise equipment according to their physiological conditions and exercise intensity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means that not only can change use intensity of exercise equipment also is portable and can be carried by an exerciser as a pedometer.

The present invention provides an intelligent vehicle meter to be installed on a moving exercise equipment. It has a measurement module to measure the physiological conditions of an exerciser, and an accelerometer module to measure acceleration and perform conversion to get alterations of total mechanical energy, thereby to derive the exercise intensity of the exerciser. Then through processing of an associative processing unit and a signal processing unit, use intensity of the exercise equipment can be changed through a control module according to the physiological conditions and exercise intensity. The intelligent vehicle meter of the invention also can be detached to become portable and be carried by the exerciser to count the number of walking steps through change of acceleration.

The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the invention adopted on an exercise equipment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the invention installed on handlebars.

FIG. 4 is a system block diagram of the accelerometer module of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a system block diagram of the control module of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a system block diagram of the measurement module of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the invention in another use condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 for an embodiment of the invention that takes a bicycle as an example for an exerciser equipment 90. The intelligent vehicle meter 10 of the invention aims to be installed on handlebars 91 of the exercise equipment 90. It includes an external input device 60, an associative processing unit 15, a signal processing unit 20, a measurement module 30, an accelerometer module 40, a control module 50 and a display device 70. The associative processing unit 15 receives input signals from the external input device 60. The signal processing unit 20 receives processing signals from the associative processing unit 15 and sends a feedback signal to the associative processing unit 15, thereby physical data of an exerciser and setting of system parameters can be entered through the external input device 60. The display device 70 is connected to the signal processing unit 20 to display the present system conditions and parameter setting to be used by the exerciser for reference and setting purpose.

The measurement module 30 aims to measure the physiological conditions of the exerciser and transmits to the associative processing unit 15. The accelerometer module 40 aims to measure acceleration. The signal processing unit 20 aims to send parameter signals to the accelerometer module 40 to alter the sensibility of the accelerometer module 40. Also referring to FIG. 4, the accelerometer module 40 measures the acceleration of three axes (X, Y and Z axes) through a 3-axis accelerate sensor 41, then by performing one time integration and two-time integration of time through an integrator a 3-axis velocity 42 a and a 3-axis position 43 a can be derived. Next, by performing addition in the vector direction a speed 42 b and a position vector 43 b can be obtained. With the speed 42 b and mass (exerciser's physical data and the system parameters that have been entered) known, kinetic energy 45 can be derived through a kinetic energy calculation device 44. Similarly, with the position vector 43 b, mass and gravity constant known, potential energy 47 can be derived through a potential energy calculation device 46. Finally, by adding the kinetic energy 45 and the potential energy 47, total mechanical energy 48 can be obtained. Without taking into account of energy loss caused by friction, increasing or decreasing amount of the total mechanical energy 48 at a unit time represents the exercise intensity bearable by the exerciser. But as the exercise equipment 90 is inevitably subject to the impact of friction, an exercise intensity assessing element 49 has to be used to do assessment and correction to estimate the exercise intensity bearable by the exerciser. Hence a desired exercise intensity for the exerciser can be converted from the total mechanical energy 48 and sent to the associative processing unit 15.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the control module 50 aims to change use intensity 55 of the exercise equipment 90. The control module 50 is an automatic shifting system to automatically change the shift position of the bicycle. The automatic shifting system includes an automatic shift control device 51, a bicycle power shifting device 52 and a shift positioned detection device 53. The automatic shift control device 51 receives a control signal from the signal processing unit 20 and outputs a shifting signal to the bicycle power shifting device 52 to change speed. The shift positioned detection 53 aims to monitor change of the bicycle shift position and feed back a detection signal to the automatic shift control device 51 to correct the shifting signal.

The invention may also include an electronic bicycle motor device 54 to output power to drive the bicycle. The electronic bicycle motor device 54 receives a control signal from the automatic shift control device 51 and a shift position signal from the bicycle power shifting device 52 to change output power.

As previously discussed, the signal processing unit 20 receives exerciser's physiological conditions and exercise intensity transmitted from the associative processing unit 15 to set the system parameters and generate a control signal sending to the control module 50 to actively change the use intensity 55 of the exercise equipment 90. In the event that exerciser's physiological conditions are abnormal (such as heartbeat becomes faster) or exercise intensity increases (such as on a uphill journey), the shift position can be automatically changed to a higher gear ratio through the automatic shift control device 51, or a power output can be delivered through the electronic bicycle motor device 54 to alleviate the burden of the exerciser. An external control device 80 may also be included to transmit an external control signal to the control module 50 to change the use intensity 55 of the exercise equipment 90 to increase use flexibility for the exerciser.

Also referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, the measurement module 30 of the invention may adopt a contact type pulse measurement device that includes a bio-potential sensor 33, a bio-signal measurement unit 34, a negative feedback difference common mode signal unit 341 and a buffer/balanced circuit 342. It also has a first detection electrode 31 a and a second detection electrode 31 b directly mounted onto the handlebars 91 of the exercise equipment 90 to be grasped by the hands of the exerciser to detect the bio-potential difference. Moreover, the first detection electrode 31 a and the second detection electrode 31 b are connected to the bio-potential sensor 33 through a conductive wire 32 to get the heartbeat of the exerciser.

The first detection electrode 31 a and the second detection electrode 31 b are sensors aiming to measure the bio-potential difference of the exerciser. They may be installed at different location according to different products. FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the intelligent vehicle meter 10 of the invention detached from the exercise equipment 90 to be carried by the exerciser. The accelerometer module 40 can measure the acceleration of exerciser's body. Through alteration of the acceleration the number of the walking steps of the exerciser can be converted and derived. In addition, the intelligent vehicle meter 10 may also include an external hanging means 11 to be latched on a belt, waist band, pocket or the like so that it may be easily carried on exerciser's body. The first detection electrode 31 a and the second detection electrode 31 b may also be connected to other detection electrodes or be directly connected to exerciser's hands to get the bio-potential difference to measure the heartbeat. 

1. An intelligent vehicle meter mounted by an exerciser onto a moving exercise equipment which has an external input device and an associative processing unit which receives input signals from the external input device, comprising a signal processing unit, a display device, a measurement module, an accelerometer module and a control module; wherein the signal processing unit receives processing signals from the associative processing unit and sends a feedback signal to the associative processing unit, the external input device receives entering of exerciser's physical data and setting of system parameters, the display device is connected to the signal processing unit to display system conditions and parameter setting, the measurement module measures physiological conditions of the exerciser and transmits to the associative processing unit, the accelerometer module measures acceleration and derives speed and a position vector through integration calculations to get kinetic energy and potential energy to obtain alterations of total mechanical energy, and convert to exercise intensity of the exerciser and send to the associative processing unit, the control module changes use intensity of the exercise equipment, and the signal processing unit receives the physiological conditions and the use intensity of the exerciser from the associative processing unit to generate a control signal which is sent to the control module to actively change the use intensity of the exercise equipment.
 2. The intelligent vehicle meter of claim 1, wherein the intelligent vehicle meter is detachable from the exercise equipment and portable to be carried by the exerciser so that that the accelerometer module is allowed to measure the acceleration of the exerciser and get the number of walking steps taken by the exerciser by converting alterations of the acceleration.
 3. The intelligent vehicle meter of claim 2 further having an external hanging means.
 4. The intelligent vehicle meter of claim 3 further having a first detection electrode and a second detection electrode.
 5. The intelligent vehicle meter of claim 1 further having an external control device to transmit an external control signal to the control module to change the use intensity of the exercise equipment.
 6. The intelligent vehicle meter of claim 1, wherein the measurement module is a contact type pulse measurement device.
 7. The intelligent vehicle meter of claim 1, wherein the exercise equipment is a bicycle and the control module is an automatic shifting system which includes an automatic shift control device, a bicycle power shifting device and a shift positioned detection device; the automatic shift control device receiving a control signal from the signal processing unit and outputting a shifting signal to the bicycle power shifting device to change speed, the shift positioned detection device monitoring change of the bicycle shift position and feeding back a detection signal to the automatic shift control device to correct the shifting signal.
 8. The intelligent vehicle meter of claim 7 further including an electronic bicycle motor device which outputs power to drive the bicycle and receives another control signal from the automatic shift control device and a shift position signal from the bicycle power shifting device to change output power. 